Happy New Year!

With a new year upon us, we would like to pause and reflect upon 2007. We had a great year filled with some wonderful events, particularly the birth of Ian. We got the opportunity to work with more great clients and their families. Stacey and Lauren got to spend almost two weeks in Florida with her family, celebrating her sister's wedding. We met some wonderful people within the industry, highlighted by attending Mike Colon and Kevin Kubota Workshops. I got the opportunity to be a guest of one of our past clients for a Vikings/Chiefs game at Arrowhead (plus I got to go on the field). Lauren is getting bigger and more amazing every day. Finally, our business enjoyed it's most successful year yet. After having such an amazing year, we are really excited about 2008. Staja Studios will be going through some exciting changes, which we look forward to sharing with you as they come along.

Despite all this excitement, one thing will not change. We remain committed to providing our clients with more than just photography, we aim to provide you with an experience.

Take care everyone, be safe, and thank you ALL for a wonderful 2007!

Jason and Stacey

Merry Christmas!

We would like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!!!

And The Winner Is??????

First off, we would like to thank everyone who entered our "Let Us Help You" Christmas Contest! There was more than one very deserving entry, but as with all things, we had to make a choice. We would like to congratulate Jennifer Mortensen (one of our "08" brides) for her very touching entry. We have posted the story below, but neither one of us could think of a much more deserving family than the one she wrote about:


I believe in the miracle of Christmas, the blessing of family, and the wonderment of friends. I believe that God knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). And I believe that He places certain people in our lives for a reason.

I firmly believe God knew what He was doing when He introduced me to my good friend, Sarah Petroske. I know it sounds cliché, but everyone needs a friend like her! She is a devoted friend who is always willing and wanting to lend an ear, a voice, or a really good laugh! Throughout the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Sarah and I have continued to make our friendship a top priority.

I trust the reason Sarah is such a good person is because she comes from such strong, faithful roots. The obvious love her parents have for each other has overflowed to their three children. They have raised a beautiful family, continually supporting each other, and instilling remarkable values in each of their three children. As all families do, the Wensmann family is constantly changing.

In a couple of weeks, Sarah’s older sister and her husband will have a baby...the very first grandchild of the Wensmann family. How exciting! Babies always seem to bring out new attitudes of thanksgiving and peace.

And just a few short weeks after the addition of the new baby, Sarah’s younger brother will be getting married. Again, how exciting! Life just seems a little more complete when you find that special someone.

The very unfortunate piece to all of this, is that Sarah’s father, the pillar of strength in the Wensmann family, was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, last year. This devastating disease, despite much research and development, has no cure. The Wensmann family finds peace through their faith, and somehow manage to find the silver lining in this very deep, dark, gray cloud.

I believe that the Wensmann family, with all of its new additions, is exceedingly deserving of the “Christmas Contest” this year. I believe that a beautiful photo of this beautiful family is one that they will treasure for the rest of their lives.

Jennifer Mortensen


It is so unfortunate to hear about a family going through something like this, but we can only hope that the gift she will be able to give them will help make their holidays a little bit brighter.

Congratulations Jennifer! We can't wait to meet The Wensmann Family, and they are in our prayers.

- Stacey and Jason

Let Us Help You This Holiday Season!!!

The holidays are a time for family, friends, and being with the ones you love. As time passes and things happen in our lives, this seems to ring more true than ever. Reflecting on the past year, we couldn't be luckier or more thankful. Our family has grown, our business has been good to us, and we are embarking on what we feel is going to be an exciting new year. With that in mind, we would like to help you with your shopping for the holidays. What could be a better gift than the gift of memories?




Not only do we offer gift certificates for a family session, or toward someone's wedding, we are going to help one lucky person with their shopping this holiday season. We will be giving away one of our lifestyle portrait or engagement sessions! The catch is that we are going to give it to someone to use as a gift. In order to participate, we want you to tell us who deserves this session and why. Is it a friend who has fallen on hard times, your parents who are going to have their 30th wedding anniversary, your younger brother and his girlfriend? We will choose which story we think has the most deserving recipient, and in turn will give the winner a certificate for one session to give as a gift to the person/people you submitted the story about.

In order to participate, please send your submission to info@stajastudios.com under the heading of "Christmas Contest". All submissions must be received by midnight on Saturday, December 15th. We will be announcing the winner and sending the certificate the week of the 17th.

Additional Details:
- Anyone is free to participate.
- The certificate is valued at $350 and includes the session itself (Twin Cities Metro Area), on-line proofing, and one 8x10 mounted art print.
- Any travel costs outside of the Twin Cities Metro would need to be covered.

We wish you all the best during this wonderful time of the year. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

- STAcey and JAson